主題：喚醒心中的耶穌
今天所聽到的是二千年前，耶穌在加里肋亞湖平息風浪的事蹟。這個事蹟，為二千年後的我們有甚麼意義呢？其實，這個問題是每一個時代的教友都要回答的。聖經記載了有關我們賴以得救的全部真理。如果我們不認識聖經，或者有讀聖經但是不明白它的教訓，我們的信仰便失去憑據，流於迷信和功利。那麼我們與那些去黃大仙或者昂平大佛參拜的善信，又有甚麼分別呢？
今日所聽到的事蹟，三部「對觀福音」也有記載，而以【馬爾谷福音】最為詳盡。【馬爾谷福音】的結構很簡單，大致按耶穌生平事蹟的先後次序編寫，中間祗加插兩章有關天國和末日的教訓，並沒有長篇大論的道理。故事性強，可讀性高，是送給慕道者，讓他們初步認識耶穌的首選入門書。今天福音所記載的事蹟，就是耶穌在加里肋亞湖邊，花了一整天對群眾講述天國的比喻之後，在傍晚乘船過對岸休息的時候發生的。
耶穌的門徒之中，最少有兩對兄弟是漁夫。所以他們應該是見慣風浪的人。可想而知，當晚他們所遇上的風浪，一定非同小可。當時的門徒跟隨了耶穌不久，對耶穌的認識有限，最多見聽過耶穌講天國的道理，見過耶穌治好痲瘋病人、癱子、枯手人或者驅魔。經過這次平息風浪，他們對這個向大自然發號司令的師父，有一種說不出的敬畏：「這人到底是誰？連風和海也聽從祂！」
十二宗徒與耶穌一起生活了三年，在耶穌升天前一刻，還問祂有關以色列復國的問題。可想而知，他們對耶穌和祂的使命，仍一知半解，有待聖神降臨後纔得到完全的明白。那麼我們呢？讓我們反省一下自己與天主子耶穌有的關係多深刻。究竟在我們心目中，耶穌是有求必應的黃大仙嗎？耶穌是救苦救難的觀世音嗎？抑或祂是恩寵銀行的提款機，當我們平時唸經，領聖事，行愛德就把恩寵儲蓄起來，以備不時之需，到有危難時就要提取恩寵呢？
當我領受執事職不久，便有朋友請我為她的朋友同事祈禱，他們不是受癌病煎熬，就是被抑鬱所擾。其實執事的祈禱並不比平信徒的祈禱更有效力，所以我們不應低估自己的祈禱力量。問題在於我們與耶穌的關係有多深刻？我們的代禱能否發揮威力？可能在我們心中的耶穌睡著了，我們須要喚醒心中的耶穌。
誰的人生沒有風浪？受病苦煎熬，受焦慮困擾的又豈止我們的朋友呢？我們何必等到生死關頭的時候纔去喚醒耶穌呢?平時我們也應與耶穌多作交談，遇到困難的時候，就不會慌忙失措了。
天主保祐。
Twelfth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)
Theme: Wake up Jesus in your heart
Today, we hear the story of Jesus calming a storm in Lake Galilee two thousand years ago. How do we make this 2000-year old story relevant to us today? In fact, this question has to be answered by Christians of all generations. The Bible contains all the salvific truths we need to know. If we do not know the Bible, or do not understand the message of the biblical texts we read, our faith will lose its foundation and become superstitious and utilitarian. How would we be different from those worshippers of Wong Tai Sin or the Tian Tan Buddha at Ngong Ping?
The story we read today can be found in all three Synoptic gospels and Mark’s is the most detailed. The structure of Mark is very simple. It roughly follows a chronological order of the life of Jesus. There are only two chapters on the Kingdom of Heaven and eschatology and no long passages of theology. It is highly narrative and readable, a perfect introductory biography for catechumens. In today’s story, Jesus had been preaching the Kingdom of Heaven in parables for the whole day at the shore of Lake Galilee. In the evening, he and the disciples were crossing the Lake to the opposite shore to take a break.
Among the disciples, there were at least two pairs of fishermen brothers. They should be familiar with storms on Lake Galilee. Thus, the storm they met that evening must have been extremely severe. The disciples had followed Jesus for some time but their knowledge of Jesus was rather limited. At most, they had heard him talk about the Kingdom. They had seen him cure lepers, the paralyzed, a man with a withered hand and even some exorcism. After this calming of the storm incident, they had an unspeakable awe of this master who was able to command the Mother Nature, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41)
The Twelve had been living with Jesus for three years. However, even on the day of Ascension of Jesus, they still asked him about the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. From this, we can see that their understanding of Jesus and his mission was rather incomplete. They had to wait for the Descent of the Holy Spirit to have a fuller understanding. What about us? Let us reflect how profound our relationship with Jesus is. What is Jesus in our heart? Is he an all-granting Wong Tai Sin? Or is he a benevolent Avalokiteśvara? Or is he an ATM of a bank of grace in which we deposit our prayers, sacraments and charitable acts for our withdrawals during our emergencies?
Immediately after my ordination, friends called me to pray for their colleagues and friends who are suffering from cancer and/or depression. In fact, the prayer of a deacon is no more powerful than the prayers of the laity. So, do not underestimate the effectiveness of your prayers. The problem is how deep our relationships with Jesus. How powerful our intercession can be. Perhaps Jesus has fallen asleep in our heart. It is high time we woke him up.
Who have not gone through stormy experiences in their life? Who have not suffered from afflictions of illness and frustrated by depressions but only friends? Do we have to wait until life and death situations to wake up Jesus? We should maintain our dialogues with Jesus so that we will not lose heart in times of distress.
God bless.
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